Iran
Iran is ready for anything the United States does to stop its nuclear programme, Tehran’s foreign minister said on Saturday after the United States maintained it was keeping “all options on the table”.
Reuters 24th Feb 2007
US Vice-President Dick Cheney renewed Washington’s criticism of Iran yesterday, warning the Islamic state it would be a “serious mistake” if it continued to develop nuclear technology.
Scotland on Sunday 25th Feb 2007
AN AMERICAN carrier battle group led by the USS Dwight D Eisenhowerheads towards the Persian Gulf to reinforce the naval assets already in place. A third is due to follow shortly. In Bulgaria, the newly opened strategic US Air Force bases start receiving squadrons of B-2 Stealth bombers. For all that the administration of president George W Bush has denied it is targeting Iran – according to vice-president Dick Cheney yesterday on a visit to Australia, “all options are still on the table” – it is hard to avoid the impression that the US is sending a not-so-subtle message to the regime in Tehran to call a halt to its nuclear programme, or else.
Sunday Herald 25th Feb 2007
Tensions were rising between Iran and the West this weekend as Britain prepares to push for tough new UN sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear enrichment programme.
Observer 25th Feb 2007
Uranium
URANIUM prices rocketed to their highest-ever levels last week as hedge funds plunged into the market and took big bets on prices rising even further.
Sunday Times 25th Feb 2007
Trident
POLITICAL, church and union leaders joined forces yesterday at a rally to put pressure on the government to ditch the Trident nuclear weapons system. Around 1,000 protesters joined the demonstration in Glasgow calling for plans to update the submarine-based system to be abandoned.
Scotland on Sunday 25th Feb 2007
Why can’t MPs see the folly of Trident? Britain can have no moral authority over Iran’s nuclear crusade while we are hellbent on upgrading our fleet.
Observer 25th Feb 2007
Chernobyl
MORE THAN 20 years have passed since Zoya Klimakina, an engineer, was sent to Chernobyl to help clean up after the world’s worst nuclear accident. She was exposed to radiation for weeks, has suffered from breathing difficulties since and receives a disability pension of just £100 a month. Klimakina has now found a champion in 19-year-old Maria Sharapova, the tennis star, whose family lived in Gomel, 80 miles north of the stricken nuclear power station. Since her appointment as a United Nations goodwill ambassador this month, Sharapova, who won Wimbledon in 2004, has donated £50,000 to projects aimed at helping victims of the disaster and has promised to publicise their largely forgotten cause.
Sunday Times 25th Feb 2007
Dounreay
ABOUT 100 jobs are to go this year at the Dounreay nuclear plant – not such bad news as was expected. Managers and unions had feared up to 500 posts could go from the 2,200-strong workforce this year due to lack of funding from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) .
Scotsman 24th Feb 2007
